(no subject)

[recollecters]

EVENT

Re:Surgence The city of Recollé...ready for a homecoming? I. It’s been a few days since you’ve learned that Retrospec has lost track of you and everyone you know. The mystery of where you’ve traveled hasn’t been answered, but perhaps you’re actually safer than they think you are There are no monsters roaming the main parts of the city (though several linger in the outskirts, just as they always have) and all of the buildings and property damage that was inflicted last month seems to have vanished. As time counts down, you’ll begin to notice a few things as the days go on. For one thing, you may hear a strange mooing noise in the distance, almost like a herd of cows you can’t quite find. Bright, sparkling lights blink above even though searching further leads you to nothing but darkness. Every now and then when you look at your feet, an inch of water appears beneath you and sloshes slowly with invisible waves. Most importantly, the ofrendas that spread throughout the city on Halloween are still there but have multiplied in numbers. Several tables and altars are set up in all different districts with your photos and objects of importance to you, but that’s not all. There are hundreds and hundreds of tables lining sidewalks now, making it impossible to walk without passing a line of them and featuring several faces you don’t recognize. The images are worn and faded, and the objects appear to be several decades old ranging from clothing, jewelry, toys, books and more. They seem to be bolted in place and the altars can't be moved at all. It's only about 9pm on the 5th that things begin to change. A loud, almost rumbling moaning noise escapes every crevice of the sidewalk and buildings and a gust of air brushes over you. Hundreds and hundreds of figures begin to materialize around their ofrendas, the sound of their chatter growing louder and louder as they form. It's the season of the dead, and the ghosts of decades past are coming home. Ghosts who passed in the 40s, 50s and 60s seem to be the most talkative but these ghosts range from young to old. They may appear right before you (or right on top of you) and immediately begin bombarding you with questions about the city. Did you sign up to play tour guide? Oh well. With a bit of luck, you may even be able to get some answers out of them. II. Excited to settle back into the city, the ghosts begin to filter and spread out to all regions and engage with those around them. As the sun rises on the morning of the 6th, several of the ghosts begin to chatter and rejoice, sharing with you the good news. “The festivities have begun!” They exclaim, but explanations aren’t offered as they lead you to different regions to join in their celebrations. Over in Viea Village, the mooing from the day before intensifies as you step into the district and find a large herd of cows. Formed in a huddle, these cows are calm and gentle, seemingly waiting for someone to direct them. As you approach them, however, you suddenly find yourself in a particular costume, complete with a small brass bell. Recognizing you as one of their own, the cows begin to moo emphatically and nudge you forward, pushing you ahead to begin a procession through Viea Village. The ghosts around you will smile and wave, watching the parade happily as the cows follow your every step. Will you be stuck leading these cows for the rest of the day? Perhaps someone will find a way to distract the cows and interrupt this parade to save you from further humiliation. Meanwhile, in Enprise, the moment you step into this district you feel a warmth wash over you as bonfires light up the district. A weight appears in your pocket and you find several paper bills of varying denominations. The money also appears to have the faces of people you recognize on them, smiling and waving at you. Beneath your feet, the slabs of sidewalk glow and a semi-familiar square appears. A golden Chocobo token also finds its way next to you as the game begins. The squares around this particular game of Monopoly reflect buildings in the city. You even have the option to buy property temporarily! Throwing your Monopoly money directly into the flames will change the color of the fire as the building you've purchased changes to suit your tastes. Is Expressive too hipster for your taste? Perhaps it now reflects your punk-rock soul. Was the animal shelter too drab to walk through? The walls will change to your favorite color to liven up the city. The possibilities are endless and play as long as you'd like! No one's stopping you from changing the city to your liking, after all. In Apprassage, everything seems oddly quiet until the midnight hours. If you happen to be around in this district from midnight to sunrise, you'll hear the sound of running water. Geysers erupt in front of you, crystal-clear water enticing you to wash your hands and cleanse yourself. Stepping into the spray, your shoes disappear and the water sprinkles over you. You feel refreshed. Your troubles melt away, and your worries seem like a thing of the past. Nothing can bother you now that you've revived yourself and you can't even seem to find it in you to be too upset about your missing shoes. Lucky for you, it seems as though they haven't gone too far as they sit at the end of the street. As you begin to walk, however, the ghosts around you begin to chant in an incomprehensible language as black beans are suddenly thrown at you. The phrase the ghosts chant repeats itself nine times, but the speed of the beans increase as they pelt your back and your shoulders. Why does it seem like your shoes keep getting further away? And how do you stop the beans anyway? Good luck dodging. You're going to need it. Over in Chata, things seem to be peaceful. Entering the district means being immediately hit with the rich scents of sweets and spices, savory treats and tantalizing meals you can practically taste. Your favorite foods are all spread out before you made just the way you like them and separated into perfectly portioned sizes just for you. Best of all? Every single table of food has a sign that says "FREE." Who doesn't love free food? Even better is sharing your bounty with your friends and loved ones. Sharing your food multiples the amount you receive, the meal doubling and even tripling based on how many people you share with. However, those who don't share, or even those who take a bite first without offering to someone else will be in for a nasty surprise as the food turns into solid gold and becomes inedible. Any food you try to eat from then on will have the same results, a hard golden sheen that covers every morsel. If you ask the ghosts how to reverse these effects, they'll all tell you the same thing: make your favorite meal from scratch and share it with your neighbor. It's only when you give that you may receive, and the ghosts are more than happy to help you hunt for recipes. For those prone to wandering Tisse, it's hard to walk anywhere without seeing the large wooden stage in the center of the district. Decked out in lights and bright colors, the stage is filled with everything imaginable to put on a show ranging from instruments, dance equipment, magic props and more. As you watch the shows being performed by the ghosts lingering around (or even by someone you know), it becomes clear that the stage provides everything you need the moment you step up as objects materialize just for you. Do you have a talent you want to share? Now's your chance for the world to see it! And even if you're not usually the type to get on stage, it's hard not to be drawn in by the bright lights and the energy of the crowd. The ghosts will whisper encouraging words, and your feet may move on autopilot toward the stage without even realizing it. Don't be shy! Everyone here is ready to see what you have to offer. Last but not least, Tribunal Terrace has several stations set up around Recollé Square with tables filled with candles, paper, strings and paints. As ghosts mill around, they seem to be working on crafting paper lanterns. These lanterns can be designed to your taste, and if you're not the crafty type the ghosts will be more than happy to help demonstrate how to create these lanterns. Mayor Mayer wanders the premises, admiring lanterns as he goes and excitedly telling the citizens of the city that tonight's the perfect night for this celebration. (This…is said every night. Every night is the perfect night for the Mayor, actually.) As the lanterns are finished, candles are lit and the ghosts begin to release them into the sky, encouraging you to do the same and send your lanterns up up and away. Make as many as you'd like. Supplies are endless, and the lanterns seem to shine even brighter than the stars tonight to lead the spirits through the city and light their path. III. What about the forest and the ocean? That's a great question, and the curious-minded may venture out to these locations just to see what's happening out there. The ghosts have spread out to these parts as well, couples leisurely strolling the paths of the forest or friends celebrating a day at the beach despite the fact that it's November. They're friendly and seem to mind their own business in these parts, strangely, doing their best not to disturb anybody and tending to stick together though they'll watch anyone who lingers for too long. Maybe it's best to keep moving. For those who find themselves in the forest, a sense of peace washes over you as you venture further in and the earth shifts beneath your feet. Large, colorful roots sprout from the dirt and should you step on these roots the trees will begin to light up depicting stories of the city of Recollé. While you may recognize some of these events as things from history or things you've learned about in school, you may also see images from your own personal history highlighted in the bark of these trees. Wisps of light float away from the trees and circle you, a gentle whisper encouraging you to live life and find inner peace. Enjoy time with your friends and focus on the things you want to do. The trees are a breath of fresh air, and though they remain rooted in place those whispers will follow you all the way back to the city as a constant reminder to embrace who you are. Meanwhile, out at the ocean, a long line of ghosts stand on one of the docks and appear to be boarding…a boat? And the ferryman doesn't exactly look too friendly, either. If you're brave enough, you can join the line and see what all the fuss is about. You can board the boat with the living and the dead, and as the ferryman pushes you away from the dock you'll find yourself drifting along the shoreline of Peach Beach. The boat disappears around a corner, venturing into dark caverns and seemingly down and underground. The city rumbles above your head, and the water beneath you turns black and murky as small hand-like figures claw up the side of the boat. They're easy enough to ignore and the ghosts with you merely look sympathetic. There are no cries for help and the hands disappear after some time. As you look in the water again items float past you. This may be a token from your childhood, something that belongs to a family member or even something innocuous that you recognize and feel compelled to reach for. Good luck fishing it out, Retrospecters. The hands come back in full force and if they grab you, you're overwhelmed with a sense of fear and a sharp, burning sensation. Do be careful. The boat ride will only end once it reaches the riverbank and allow its riders to step ashore. In front of you is a silver door that some of you may find familiar from months ago. As you exit through the door, a tunnel unground in the old subway system stretches ahead. Sterile and silver with floor-to-ceiling mirrors on one side and metal panels on the other, this path stretches for miles before dropping you right back in the main empty subway hub to bring you back up to the city. That was fun, wasn't it? IV. It seems that even with Retrospec unable to track you, the city's operating fairly well. Monsters stay outside of the city boundaries, the ghosts are friendly and talkative, and you're still you. There are no monster effects, no body swaps, no strange and unusual events that leave you questioning when everything will end and instead it feels almost like one giant party. The celebrations continue for days and you're given the freedom and time to yourself to recharge and accomplish things you've been putting off thanks to the city's shenanigans. Even the ghosts are beginning to get into it. As time goes on, they're far more interested in the things you're doing and your daily routine. They want to know so much about the city and they'll ask questions, learning about Recollé today and especially learning about you. It seems harmless, doesn't it? They're friendly and stepping out of the past and into the present. It doesn't seem like such a bad idea to help them. Then again…how could you have known what would happen next? It starts slowly at first. Ghosts begin to attract the attention of your friends and family, showing up to gathering they weren't invited to and sharing parts of your history that don't belong to them. They begin to seek out the company on their own, nudging you out of the way and stealing the attention of those you love. While those on the app can see the difference, NPCs will begin to accept these ghosts as real people and welcome them into their homes, celebrating with them and integrating them into everyday life. Too bad that in some cases they're replacing you in everyday life. Your parents may soon believe they've only ever had one child. Your employer might believe you weren't the candidate they hired a while ago. Your teachers will praise their star student and maybe even forget all about you. It's almost as if you're becoming…a ghost? That can't be right. The only person who can be you is you. You can't be so easily replaced…can you? You may have to step up your game and try to convince not only those around you but yourself. BONUS. The Retrospec network seems quiet. Without the company checking in, it's actually fairly easy to ignore the app if you never wanted to open it. For those of you who are a bit more social, however, there's good news! A randomize feature has been added to your chat list allowing you to randomly connect to someone else on the network. There's also a new anonymous feature to temporarily allow anonymous messages to be posted. …that may be a bit too much power to give, but who's watching? Go ahead. Send a message! You don't need to know that posts made to the main network will still have your name attached to them. You also don't need to know that messages sent to individuals will only remain anonymous up to the 10th message before promptly revealing your identity. …oh. You did need to know that? Whoops. Welcome to recolle's November event! Following the game's new format, this is the first event log! The second log will go up and coincide with the game's TDM on 11/17! Characters will be able to explore the city, areas such as Jabberwock Island, Rainbowland (de-Retrospec'd), and Wall Maria, and the four regions (Pesgare, Respatrum, Bosuma, Magatus.) The four regions have returned to normal and match the descriptions on the locations page. As a reminder, you can claim two freebies on this log! -Players may claim one freebie for participating in a death celebration. This thread must be at least 5 comments from you. -Players may claim one freebie for engaging with a ghost and sharing the information with someone else. This thread must be at least 5 comments from you. If you would like to sign up for plot information via ghosts, please see this post here! Those who signed up prior to today will begin receiving information shortly after this log is posted. Finally, any questions you have regarding this event may be directed to the mod comment here. Be sure to review the mods' question thread on the plotting post for important information as well!

Comments

MOD QUESTIONS

[recollecters]

Please leave mod questions for this log here!

[thesettingsun]

Hello mods!

Can anonymous/""anonymous"" comments be made on posts to the main community? If so, does their anonymity expire at the same time personal messages do?

can I do an ic hot or not

[interlucere]

🌈 o1-A. A HELPING HAND.

[ Ghosts are cool, Lucille can handle ghosts. Especially ones that aren't intent on clawing and biting. In fact, she is more than happy to assist any and all spirits who decide to cross her path, which is how she finds herself in her current predicament.

Because that there? That is a ghostly line of people, all gathered around one tiny blond who can't seem to say no. Her attention is being pulled in every which direction, and while her smile looks more put-upon than normal, the moment she sees someone solid nearby, Lucille practically bounds up on her tip toes, waving her arm wildly. ]

Hey! Come here a sec!

[ Does she know you? Doesn't matter, come help pull her away from this ghostly rabble. ]

🌈 o1-B. UNFINISHED BUSINESS.

[ It was bound to happen eventually. Death comes for everyone eventually, but there are times when it takes someone much too young to understand what has happened to them. While it would seem that most of the spirits hovering around the city are at least aware of their current state, there are a few that haven't quite grasped what has happened to them.

Like the child with his hand practically phasing through Lucille's. Judging from his clothes, he appears to have come from sometime during the 1950s. He looks around five or six years old.

As they approach, Lucille offers a somewhat wistful, sad smile. Looking down at the ghost boy as he quietly rubs his eyes with his free arm, she directs her attention back to you. ]

He said he was looking for his mom.

[ Yes, she knows how futile this is. ]

🌈 o2. FEELING BO-FINE.

[ And now for something completely different, for those in Viea Village, it appears that there is a cattle parade heading out to pasture. It moves slowly, and while it appears to mostly be filled with cows, there is an impostor in their midst. A tiny blond, dressed in what could be best described as a cow onesie, holding up the bell around her collar and beating it to a rhythm.

She looks like she is having the time of her life. ]

All right, ladies, let's get a MOOOve on!

[ The cows answer her in chorus. Yep. Nothing to see here, folks. ]

🌈 o4. SOMEONE ELSE'S STORY (closed to current cr).

[ At first, she thinks it's endearing; that some spirit wants to know more about her instead of the other way around. It does seem odd, however, when others start to notice the spirit's presence as well. At first, it's relatively harmless—maybe a teacher says hello, or someone happens to look at it instead of Lucille when they are talking to her. Innocent things. It's probably just something that happens from time to time.

That is, until the spirit breezes past her one day on her way into class to chat with her classmates; the door shutting soundly in Lucille's face. That's when she realizes that something is terribly wrong.

Throughout the week, she can be found in any number of places around town, following a very vivacious-looking ghost from a distance. While they look almost nothing alike, the ghost's smile is almost uncannily identical to Lucille's. It's even managed to pick up some of her mannerisms along the way.

And all Lucille can bring herself to do is watch. ]

4

[fiddlestick]

[While they don't share any classes, both the cousins going to RU means they'd run into each other eventually. So it just happens to be when she's out on the campus ground does Elliot notice his cousin. He approaches with a wave, noticing that she seems to be staring at some ghost whose chatting with some of Lucille's classmates. .

The ghosts have taken some getting used to, but it's not the weirdest thing Elliot's had to deal with. So he'll approach Lucille first]

Hey Lucille. Looking at something?

[godcards]

III-A.
[ Embrace who you are is not Malik's strong suit.

Indeed, the trees in the forst were quite pretty all lit up (if not a bit strange-looking), and it was easy to see how anyone could get swept up in the faint, almost encouraging whispers. It'd be easier, he thinks, if he had any particular direction in his life, and maybe he'd get swept along too.

It kinda makes him wish that he did. ]

I wonder how difficult it is to get a motorcycle.

[ Only because it had come up in conversation earlier, and motorcylces are cool, and it's vaguely the only thing he can think about that makes him mildly excited. He has no real hobbies, so to deliberate about what he actually wants to do is difficult. Deliberating on who is he is, even more so, and it's easier to avoid that line of thought all together.

If he's to embrace the person he is, the person he wants to be and what that person wants to do: He wants to be a cool person with a cool motorcycle. ]


III-B.
[ The boat was a mistake. A harrowing hellride it was, even if Malik isn't entirely a sentimental person; there was enough to make him grab into the water - he's a selfish, greedy sort - only to be met with those hands, dozens of them, cold and slimey and all together a wrong and unsettling experience.

It's not entirely the hands, but the atmosphere and effects: the eeire dark, the burning from the inhuman fingers that seems to seep below Malik's flesh, that kickstart his fight or flight response, pulling from deep within his memories. It's hard for him to sit still for the rest of the journey, but he doesn't really have anywhere else to go lest he jump into the water.

He's pretty shaken. Regardless of where he is: just off the boat, the unnaturally clean corridor or the old subway tunnel, the fear of death lingers. He rambles to himself in Arabic, up until he spots another person. He wants to head off any questions, so he offers: ]

I almost died.


IV.
[ Under normal circumstances, Malik doesn't mind sliding under the radar. It's when his choice in the matter gets taken away, with those ever-present specters getting in his way, that it becomes frustrating. Sure, Malik is prickly and "friendly" isn't ever a word used to describe him, but he still thrives of what little attention he can stir up for himself.

With no family and few friends to speak of, the ghosts are present in other little ways in his life, sapping what little attention he could muster, and once his impotent frustrations end up nowhere - the ghosts are still around and no one is paying him much mind - Malik sees no other option but to get more forceful, jumping in front other strangers' path, and-or waving a hand in front of them to test thier attention. ]

Hey, you-- I'm still real, aren't I? You can see me? Tell me that you can see and hear me clearly, this is important.

iii-b

[floret]

[ here they both are on the spooky, scary shore; Jamie's about as visible as he was last month, which is to say that it'll be easy to mistake him for just another ghost until Malik actually recognizes him.

Sorry, though; that explanation may head off some questions, but not all of them. Jamie immediately Gets SeriousTM and starts pulling his shoulder bag around so he can grab things out of it. ]

Are you injured anywhere?

[servileness]

ii. bean her

[ Do you happen to be awake between the hours of midnight and sunrise? Do you happen to be in Apprassage? Clover hardly ever sleeps, and she spends most of her time there when she's not doing her volunteer work, so chances are it's not hard to run into her.

Chances are it's not hard to hear her screaming either, disrupting whatever peace the geysers of water or quiet the hours the dead of night or early morning have to give. ]

Stop! [ At random ghosts. ] Get back here! [ At her shoes. ] Is that Latin? [ At the ghosts again. ]

Can you get them to stop? [ That's at whomever's lucky enough to be in her field of vision that's not a ghost.

For all that Clover is expertly dodging most of the beans being thrown at her, she still looks mighty distressed. ]

iii. (can't) see the forest for the trees

[ For anyone heading to the forest, they can see Clover speed walking straight back out. Her face is paler than the ghosts that have appeared, and her posture is very rigid. She's looking straight ahead of her, but she's not really seeing anything.

Running into anyone or anything is imminent. If she bumps into someone, she'll look at them without really seeing them and then move on without so much of an apology. That's odd that she doesn't take the time to say sorry when she's usually so concerned about keeping up her prim and proper appearance. ]

iv. the ghost of her real self

[ It's enough.

It's enough.

It's enough.

She can't take it anymore. To be ignored, to be replaced— it's the same as being abandoned. Fear is real and alive, and her heart is stuttering, hammering in her chest. She's outside the dog sanctuary and vet clinic, outside the dorms, outside a university building, outside any of her usual haunts, and she's pacing back and forth in front of the entrance when suddenly—

She throws a textbook from her bag onto the ground in a fit of fury. She hurls said bag across the sidewalk, and in a final move, she rips off her hair tie and stomps on it. ]

That motherfucker—

[ Definitely not like her usual self. ]

wild card.

[ hit me with anything else! ]

iv - uni

[liberal_arts]

[ It was probably mildly not okay that he'd looked up Clover's class schedule upon finding out she was a student at the university, but hey, he had his own reasons. Noble reasons, even! Well, noble in the sense he'd rather not being carrying around the guilt of nearly killing her last month. Look, the point was, he wanted to talk to her, and set things behind them.

Or he did want to, until seeing that... ]

... Is this a bad time to apologize for threatening to behead you?

[incandescentfaith]

II. Enprise

[Well isn't this exciting? The festivities are certainly a thing Rei hadn't really intended to get too involved in, given that they were with ghosts...but hey, so long as it's a good time, it's a good time.

Stepping into Enprise, she's a little surprised to see the game board, and the weight of the cash in her pocket makes her itch to participate. It's a silly game, sure, but why not? It's not like Monopoly ever ruined friendships. Marching right up to the zoo fire, because what else would you buy here if not the zoo, she pauses, money hovering there.]

I wonder what this will even do?

II. Apprassage

[Well. This was unexpected! Rei'd been feeling pretty good right up till the beans started coming. She shrieks and throws up her hands, and a rush of fire appears in the air around her, burning the beans away to cinders. which prompts another cry, and...more beans...]

What the hell?!

Extra, The Park

[After the incident with the beans, Rei's been more careful to avoid ghosts, and she's headed for one of the many parks. Whatever had happened with the fire was...repeatable apparently...because flickering flames danced across her palms when she thought about it hard enough. Standing in the early evening dimness, with small orbs of fire floating around her, Rei just goggles...amazed at herself, and maybe attracting an audience?]

Wildcard

[Open to more prompts, hit me up @intercession on Plurk if you wanna plot.]

extra

[zerotohiro]

[She's not only attracting an audience, she's attracting the wrong audience. Hiro's been mostly eyeing the ghosts warily and dodging some of the festivities, taking to his skateboard and dashing away. He hadn't been expecting to see Rei in the park, and he skates up to her. Before he can say anything though he watches the orbs float and his eyes widen just a bit.

He's not stupid. He can see where the flames are coming from, but it's hard to believe nevertheless. He'd heard of people getting powers and the like, but...this was his sister.]

...Rei? [He's staring at her hands with a thoughtful frown, not entirely sure how to approach this.] What're you doing?

[keystaff]

I:

H-hoeeeeeee?

[Anyone within hearing range of Sakura can probably tell when she encounters the ghosts at first. As nice and polite as she usually is, she's. Well, a little too freaked out at the moment to offer her assistance in showing them around to play tour guide for these departed souls.

She might be kind of flailing and possibly hide behind whoever is closest.]

II:

Tribunal Terrace:

Lanterns? They do look pretty.

[So sure, she'll give it a go. She takes some offered supplies and tries to follow instructions in making one, once she decorates it how she wants it to look. Probably with a moon and stars on it. Completed with a sun. Which might seem strange but it is still familiar to her, given what she does recall of her other life somewhat.]

Tisse:

A talent? Me? Oh, well....

[She can dance. She isn't necessarily the most confident about it solo, but well. She's had lessons for years now and is fairly decent with it as a result in trying this to help with her clumsiness in other situations at times. Sakura bites her lip but ends up agreeing to try anyway. She heads to the stage and performs, a routine she is currently learning in her ballet class. Though she might be a little more awkward about it without her ballet shoes.]

Wildcard:

[Got other ideas? Hit me.]

I:

[oniipeach]

Sakura!

[ Touya's arm goes around his sister's shoulders protectively, and he glares as the ghosts that frightened her. After a moment, he narrows his eyes, though he doesn't make any motion to push Sakura away from where she's hiding against him. ]

I don't think they mean to hurt you.

[ Dubious look, but his voice is reassuring enough. ]

[dirtdevil]

[i] grim grinning ghosts come out to socialiiize

[ he encountered a table like this awhile back: an old photo of himself surrounded by various objects (of significance, apparently). it was creepy then, and it's still creepy now.

yes, atop a crisp, white tablecloth is a framed photo of him at approximately ten years old. it looks like a school picture—you know, with the criss-crossing neon laserbeams in the background. he's not smiling. there's a cup of black tea on a saucer off to the side; it's a little fancy-looking, but the handle on the cup seems to have broken off at some point. some neatly folded white fabric, hardly even visible against the equally-spotless tablecloth—a scarf, perhaps? there's also a small, green collar with a tag, likely for a cat or a small dog. last but certainly not least, there's what appears to be... a featherduster? yeah, it's a featherduster.

what a weirdo.

his first order of business is to turn the photo of him face-down on the table. every now and then, a ghost wanders by and picks it back up curiously—he'll put it back down again immediately, with a pointed glare at the ghost in question. nosy bastards.

as one floats off, he picks up the teacup (palm over the top because there's no handle, of course), sighs deeply, mutters something that sounds like "god damn it" under his breath, and then takes a sip.

he didn't sign up for this. ]

[iii] take a look at these bright-ass trees

[ he's not really a frequent visitor to the forest, but he's not a fan of the crowds in town at the moment (the ghosts totally count). there are ghosts out here, too, but they seem to be keeping to themselves. maybe he can relax a bit now? there's this odd feeling of tranquility, after all...

...and then he steps on a particularly colorful root, which lights up a nearby tree. it's beautiful, actually. he's actually enjoying it. crazy. or at least he was enjoying it, up until the colors start to shift and change to depict—shit, is that him up there? what's that weird-ass contraption he's got on his hips? why is there a giant naked man lurking in the background?

—oh. oh, no, he knows what this is. and he doesn't want to see it, but he can't seem to look away, either. tree-Levi (Treevi, if you will) is soaked in... something (you don't want to know), and there's a very large hand coming at him. he fires some kind of grappling hook thing—two, actually— from the big clunky thing he's wearing, aimed at an adjacent tree. but after he jumps to follow it, one of the anchors pops back out and he flies headfirst into the tree trunk. the giant makes some loud, distressed noises as Treevi hangs lifelessly from one wire, and then the image fades back into the same colorful lights as before. a few passing ghosts giggle.

...slowly, he looks back over his shoulder to check if anyone else is around. nobody saw that, right? ]

[iv] text it (main network, username: levi

can whoever's fucking around with a giant ouija board please knock it off

[??] wildcard

[ come at me with whatever! ]

iii

[fiddlestick]

[Elliot had come out to the forest to practice his magic, only to find the glowing trees. They were beautiful, in their own strange way. And there was something relaxing about this place too.

...At least until Levi starts having that shown on the tree. He's seen something similar before through Eren's memories, but it's still disturbing to watch. So when Levi looks around, Elliot is there, looking pretty concerned though not really surprised.]

That...looked really rough.

Sorry, I didn't mean to watch.

[standalonehuman]

II: (Chata) Just when I think I'm winning

Matcha chocolate. Piles and piles of the green-topped chocolate bars and squares and tiny colorfully-wrapped bonbons fill the plates around Togusa. It's his absolute favorite from home, and so few stores have been getting in shipments lately. How was he supposed to resist?

Oh, he has goofed. Togusa is trying to explain that he wanted to take some to his friends, too, but the ghosts shake their heads. He should have given first, before taking. He is getting a good-natured lecture from a grandmotherly woman who is wagging her finger at Togusa.

Once the lecture is finished, Togusa is going to have to find a friend, and learn his lesson.

II: (Tribunal Terrace) When I've broken every door

This is a death celebration that is closer to Togusa's heart. He's never done one of these before, but he can find the quiet, solemn meaning in it. He is currently getting a demonstration from a young child (while trying not to think about the fact that a ghost is so young).

"Hang on, go back, how do you do the wire?" Togusa is holding up the wire he is supposed to be threading to give the lantern some shape.

The ghost giggles. "Like this!" She demonstrates again.

"Oh, come on, you're doing it too fast!" Togusa's dismay only makes the ghost laugh more. But he is smiling too much for it to be genuine, so maybe he's hamming it up for her.

III: The ghosts of my life

Togusa's original intention in heading to the beach was to catch the ferry to Pesgare. So, when there is a second ferry there, one he hasn't seen before, he gets in line. At first, he is just amicably chatting with the other people, but his curiosity turns out to be his downfall.

Togusa finally spots the ferryman when he is pressed in too tight among people. The passengers are boarding, taking him with them. He freezes and gasps in surprise, losing his chance to push his way back to the side.

"Hey, wait! Wait, I'm not supposed to be here!"

Too late. The ferry shoves off.

IV: They're wilder than before

Togusa has been incredibly receptive to the ghosts. The lessons of his grandmother still stay strong in his mind about honoring the ancestors. He just never thought he'd take it so literally.

He spent practically an entire day with an elderly woman named Ethel. Hearing her life story was encouraging, a bright spot that he needed in his life. But, she seemed a little sad. Not sad for herself, but almost sad for him. As if she knew him. Could ancestors be watching over them all so directly?

Togusa can be found at the Department, talking to the (rather upsetting) number of ghosts nearby. Former officers from every age are coming here, and Togusa is glad to talk to them, and get their advice, or their own life stories.

He has yet to notice the one trying to set up shop in his office.

iii

[thisloveisjustice]

Like Togusa, Tatsuo had originally thought about going to Pesgare. A little of that quiet island life might have done him some good. He's already on the boat when he actually takes a good look at the ferryman.

"Whoa. Wait a minute. I change my mind!"

But more ghosts board the boat behind him, pushing him further along the length of the boat, and just generally impeding his attempts to get off. When he hears a similar protest just before they cast off from the dock, Tatsuo is mildly comforted that he's not alone in his desire to get off this ride.

"Yeah, I couldn't get off either..."

[thisloveisjustice]

I. ghosts of our pasts

Tatsuo squinted down at one of the ofrendas with his photograph on it. Along with a fairly recent photo of him (that he doesn't particularly remember having taken), there was also a picture that was taken when he was nine, a few months before his mother passed away. Scattered around the photos were candies and sweets he'd loved as a child (and still loves, to be honest). A baseball cap his mother had given him for his birthday the year before, but he'd lost at the park. A bottle of his favorite brand of sake. A pair of Adidas Superstars. And he was pretty sure that was a plate of Fai's cookies.

He wasn't too sure how he felt about these altars and turned to go. But as he did so, he caught sight of a ghost moving through the crowd, who looked... eerily familiar.

"K-Kaasan?"

The ghost glanced back at him, but kept walking. Tatsuo felt like his heart stopped for a moment. Because now he was sure that was his mother he'd seen. He started after her, threading his way through the crowd of people and ghosts. But somehow people/ghosts kept getting in his way.

"Kaasan! Wait!"

II-A. sing a song for you

There was basically no way for Tatsuo to avoid this. He lived in Tisse. The dojo was in Tisse. All his favorite shops and restaurants were in Tisse. One way or another, he was going to walk past that stage.

The first couple of times he was able to just stop for a while and watch, then continue on his way. But the third time... there was just something about the lights and the way the crowd murmured around him. Before Tatsuo realized it, he was up on the stage, a microphone in hand. Behind him, a band of ghosts play the opening chords of a song he knew, and he simply couldn't resist singing. His voice wasn't very polished, but it still had a very pleasant sound.

[ooc: lyrics and translation]

II-B. light the way home

One evening after he left work, Tatsuo stopped by one of the lantern making stations in Tribunal Terrace. He vaguely remembered making a floating lantern with his mother for the end of Bon, but that had been for setting in the ocean. And these... seemed like they were meant to simply be released into the air. After watching a few of the ghosts construct a number of the lanterns, Tatsuo thought he'd grasped the basic idea.

Thirty minutes and four failures later, he'd managed to produce something that looked more or less like a proper sky lantern. Before he attached the paper canopy to the frame, he carefully wrote a message on it with a marker.

おかあさん 愛してる.

IV. that one coworker you hate

If there was one thing that Tatsuo was happiest about this month, it was the fact he was able to go to work like normal, Monday through Friday. Sure, there were a number of ghosts floating around the lab, but it wasn't like they were getting in the way. Tatsuo even taught one of the more curious ghosts how the mass spectrometer worked. The ghost had been quite delighted at the various scientific and technological advancements since the 60s, and they'd had several conversations about how crimes are investigated and evidence processed in the modern day.

It wasn't until Tatsuo's supervisor handed the ghost a case that Tatsuo realized something might be a bit... off... And then his coworkers started directing questions to the ghost they should have directed at Tatsuo. They stopped asking Tatsuo for his coffee order and stopped asking him out for drinks after work, the later of which he wasn't all that bothered by since he rarely accepted anyway, but the former? That was just rude.

wild card

[Have something else in mind? HMU @ anacrusis and we can discuss~]

ii-b

[me_matey]

Send'em my regards, too.

[ May... didn't really have any lanterns to make, herself. She didn't know if her birth parents were alive or dead. And quite frankly, she didn't care if they were. But she knew Tatsuo's story was... distinctly different from her own. Perhaps that's why their paths split so keenly in life, she thought, sometimes. So much of May's life was lived in spite of something. Tatsuo... seemed to exist for better things. At least that's what she felt. ]

[promisedyou]

★ option i-a. [ While Mio is desperately expecting for things to be better this month, she doesn't exactly have high hopes. But then again, when has she ever? It doesn't help much that she's lost Retrospec contact with people that she's close to, either. If anything, it makes her feel much more alone than usual, and perhaps that's exactly why she winds up completely bombarded by ghosts, causing her to jump out of her skin as she takes a quick glance at the nearest person, not really caring whether or not she knows the person and immediately goes in to grab them by the arm as she wears a rather forced smile. ] I'm so sorry, but I've got plans with this person over here already so I can't help you out at all with any of your questions. ☆ [ And then, pointedly at her partner: ] Right? [ Her forced smile soon shifts into something a little more cruel. In the sort of way that practically screams If you don't say yes, I'm going to make your life extremely miserable and you'll regret saying no. ] ☆ option i-b. [ While Mio herself isn't exactly fond of dealing with ghosts after everything that's happened last month, the fact that they could possibly give them information that could potentially be useful is a good distraction from her darker thoughts that seep in every now and again. Shaking her head out of it, she eventually seems to run into what seems to be a young woman who seems to have dropped out straight from the 80s (ironically, although Mio doesn't seem to recall that Shion was from that time period just yet) who seems to be rather friendly. Perhaps even too friendly. ] "I want to know more about you. You're lonely, aren't you? I'm quite certain that means you need friends! And friends learn things about each other, don't they?" [ It catches her a little off guard to be completely called out like that, and it shows. Her aquamarine eyes widen and she finds herself shifting a little bit side to side as her grip on the strap of her bag tightens ever so slightly. Subtle things, but one that can be caught by an observant eye. ] What, me? Nooo... I'm not lonely at all. [ Again, another forced grin, but it's a rather well practiced one. ] Not at all. I have a boyfri- "You have a boyfriend?!" [ The ghost's eyes seem to glitter with excitement and Mio immediately recognizes this as her first mistake. But before she's even given the chance to say something, opening her mouth to say words, the ghost grabs Mio's hands. Oh no. ] "Tell me more!" [ ... and she winds up more exhausted by the rest of this conversation, where she seems to be gossiping quite a bit about her boyfriend until she eventually gets the details she needs. Once she's done with that, however, she just. Falls onto the floor, face up, staring at the ceiling. ] I really hope that information was worth it... I feel so fucking dead. ★ option ii-a. [ Being in Enprise is certainly a change of pace as she feels something in her pocket that's rather strange. When she sees the paper money - Monopoly? Really? - and the familiar faces smiling and waving at her, she can't help but drop the bills in a bit of a surprised panic. That was definitely not as expected. ] Okay, that was definitely weird... but what am I supposed to be doing with this fake money, anyway? I've never played a game of Monopoly in my life. [ No, she seriously hasn't. Help? ] ☆ option ii-b. [ Kind of hard to share when you're not really the one who trusts others, huh? Probably doesn't help that everything that she manages to eat after is just all solid gold now and she's struggling. But once she learns that she has to make her favorite food is when her face turns completely and utterly pale. It isn't because she doesn't know how to cook it. It's because she can't. Not as she is right now, anyway. Hence why she's trying to flag someone down with a polite raise of a hand, fretting quite a bit. ] Excuse me, could you potentially help me out with something? It's... kind of important. Please. ★ option ii-c. [ In Tisse, the wooden stage seems to be calling to her quite a bit, a little bit of interest set in her eyes, although she doesn't seem to want to go up on stage herself. Except the ghosts seem to be rather curious and encouraging. Her feet move on their own and she starts to yell in a rather obvious panic before she's on stage. Guess she's gotta. Sighing, she eventually chooses to make the decision to sing. ] ☆ option iv. [ When you honestly have been isolating yourself from the world, it makes it extremely easy for a ghost to take over a person's life-- more importantly, her own. It's even more concerning when she finds herself going to work and seeing that the ghost has been taking her job. That's cool. But what makes it ten times worse is not only is said ghost taking over her job, but her life, her appearance, trying to become a better her than she ever was and it's right then and there that she feels like she's lost practically everything and just wants to give up. Finding herself a bench in the park, she looks at her own hands, palms flat. Ah. This again. It's nice to feel like she's disappearing... her eyes are watering already as she just finds herself crumpling. ] Maybe it would be okay to be replaced by a better me, after all. [ She's a horrible person that deserves it, after all. ] ★ wildcard [ Want to play something else entirely different? Feel free to hit me up via PM or at endlesseight! I'm also willing to play out scenarios with the ghost that's trying to replace Mio too, if you'd like. ]

i-b

[spirithacker]

Gross.

[That's Shinji's proclamation, having only caught the tail end of the boyfriend gossip.

Mio doesn't look too happy about it either, though, which at least saves her from louder complaints. Instead Shinji sits down next to her.]

Why'd you tell her all that stuff?

[breakingvoice]

a. then maybe you'll be okay [ii, chata]

What's that? You've fallen for the trap of eating food without sharing it first and now you need to make your favorite dish and share it with someone else? Have no fear! Lina Geteilt is here with some travel cookware, a rented generator, and a makeshift stand. She's got some marzipan skulls as well, though they aren't painted nearly as artistically as any professional calaveras. (They're still just as delicious, though definitely dangerous for anyone with a sweet tooth.) She's not here to sell anything; this is one of her favorite times of year, after all, and it's too greedy to expect others to pay for the privilege of making food with her stuff.

"Come on over!" she cries out to anyone who will listen, and there's a real smile on her face that feels like she definitely isn't forcing it for once. After all, she gets to share recipes and food with people. She gets to bring the kitchen out to the city. This is what she's good at; this is what she knows she can do.

b. you don't know me—and that's the problem [iii, forest]

In the woods, Lina's just stepped on a few roots unintentionally, and she's... watching. She's watching memories unfold in front of her like they're being plucked directly from her mind. The first time she discovered she loved to cook, when she was just rolling around a big ball of floured dough and making people around her laugh. Back when her hair was brown and her body wasn't grown yet and she was putting down her fists and kneading bread instead.

She takes a few steps backwards, resting against a smooth tree trunk. Her body slides to the ground, her white sweater drawing some bits of bark with it, but she can't be too bothered by it when another scene, one of her and all her sisters laughing, smiling, being kids together appears in the air. And Lina Geteilt can't help herself but smile back.

The ground around her starts glowing as those lights surround her, but she's almost entranced looking at these... these memories of where she came from. The orphanage. All the good times she had there with her sisters. Before everything broke. Before everything broke the first time and she started blaming herself for it. Before last month, which she can't stop blaming herself for.

Her eyes are shimmering, and the longer these pieces of her history play out, the more obvious her crying gets.

c. i'm rabid and hibernating simultaneously [wildcard]

((hit me up in DMs or at roseward for anything else!!))

b

[thesettingsun]

The trees are one thing, and Shuji can't say he wasn't distracted by pictures of his own history - but the sound of someone he knows crying is something else, something much more pressing.

Shuji finds her resting against that tree trunk.

"Hey." It's not the greatest conversation starter in the world, but he doesn't know if he wants to openly acknowledge her tears yet. "Come here often?"

[strawberrypunch]

[II - Ghost info]

[Shortly after the ghosts begin to make their appearances, Tatsuma can be found in the park, looking around this way and that. In the distance is the sound of giggling, and he quickly spins on his heel - only for the same high-pitched laughter to start up in the exact opposite direction.

Ah.

They have him surrounded.

If he spots someone else, he'll smile imploringly at them.]

Ummm... Are you good at hide-and-seek?

[II - Chata]

[There's basically just a giant pile of strawberry foods in front of Tatsuma. Strawberry gummies, strawberry pocky, strawberry milk...

And strawberry pie.

There's something melancholy about his expression, first surprise and then a smile as he cuts a slice. But when he spots someone else nearby, he turns his attention to them instead.]

...Want some? It's really good.

[He hasn't even tried it yet, but he sounds certain of himself.]

[III - Tree]

[Tatsuma can be found looking up at the colorful tree, hand lightly on the bark. Every so often, something seems to catch his attention on it, leaving him watching attentively as scenes play out.

So attentively, he might not even notice someone peering at the very same memories.]

((OOC: Memories can be chosen from here if any of those could help trigger one of yours! Wildcard option is also available. Feel free to hit me up at danidanidanica if there's anything else you'd like to do instead!))

III pick a zombie memory any zombie memory

[thesettingsun]

...Zombies and ghosts?

[Shuji thought it was enough already that Tatsuma saw ghosts...]

I guess that makes you prepared for whatever happens here, huh.

[hauntedsavior]

a. i'm fed up with lying to myself [i, all districts]

"Okay, okay, hold on, everyone. I'm only one girl."

Anna's not really fazed by the sudden appearance of the veritable tour group of ghosts she's gathered. Maybe she's out of her mind, but she's in full on museum guide mode, hearkening back to one of her old summer jobs, and she's giving them all tour of their unlives. She loves this city; she loves sharing everything she can about it. This just isn't how she imagined spending her day.

In her best customer service voice, she's leading this throng of ghosts from landmark to landmark around the city and answering all kinds of questions. Anyone who's never heard her talk like this before might be shocked at how she sounds or how knowledgeable she is about the city. Anyone who has might be shocked that she's still doing this, but apparently she's a good tour guide from how swamped she is with questions. That, to her credit, she's actually able to answer, but each one seems to beget two more.

b. space and time without you by my side [ii, the terrace]

These lanterns are usually for people who have lost someone, aren't they? These whole festivities are for that. But Anna, well. She didn't lose anyone; she knows exactly where they are, because that's where she left them. Yet she's still here, trying to put something together, trying to craft a lantern fit for someone important to her.

She can't draw for shit, but that's not stopping her from scrawling away, trying to make something that looks close to the girl on her mind. The girl she hasn't seen in nine years; the one the hall of mirrors reminded her she abandoned. And the deeper she gets into her own thoughts, the harder it is to focus on actually drawing, or even noticing that she's been tracing the same few lines over and over in her dumb, stupid fugue state.

In the flickering light of the lanterns around her, she might look melancholy, but she's just distracted. That's all. She's distracted and she feels horribly out of place here, making a lantern for a soul that isn't dead, and drawing a picture of her sister is one of the only things keeping her mind off what's not beating in her chest anymore. It's fine.

c. the mirror to your insecurities [wildcard]

((as above, roseward or DMs if you want more!!))

b

[liberal_arts]

... Are you open to a small critique?

[ A familiar voice behind her. Kasen dressed in a dark, winter kimono, thick happy draped over his shoulders. In fact, he'd pretty much stopped wearing most western clothes in general for a few months now, but it was becoming especially noticeable lately, as the winter rolled in and more layers rolled on.

But he definitely noticed that trance she'd been in. His expression is soft, not judging in the slightest, despite his earlier words. ]

[invocate]

I. remembering who we love

If you spotted an ofrenda with Li-Na's photo, you basically found a small shrine to her love for ballet. Li-Na's ofrenda had an old pair of her pointe shoes, playbills from ballets she'd watched, a porcelain figurine of a ballet dancer, her favorite treats and snacks from Hong Kong, and a small photograph of her brother. As Li-Na looked at the altar, she reached over to finger the ribbons of the pointe shoes.

"I used these for the Nutcracker two years ago."

Or maybe you spotted Li-Na surrounded by a group of curious ghosts. She wanted to answer all their questions about the changes in the city since their death, but since she'd only been in Recolle herself for a year and a half... she wasn't really able to provided the answers they were looking for.

"Ah... sorry... I don't know that store..."

Help a girl out?

II-A. don't ask what's in it

When Li-Na spotted the food stalls in Chata, she couldn't resist drifting from stall to stall, just looking (and smelling) everything being offered. And then she found a stall selling one of her favorite street foods. Curry fish balls. But as she walked away from the stall with a cup-full of skewered balls, she spotted you.

"Have you tried these? They smell just like they do in Hong Kong. Here!!!"

Do you take the offered skewer?

Or maybe you got lucky and crossed paths with Li-Na after she found a stall with egg waffles.

II-B. born to dance

As if Li-Na was going to miss a chance to be on stage.

When she noticed a group of ghosts preparing to perform a ballet in Tisse, she couldn't help but figure out which one it was from the costumes and props alone. Once the ghosts heard she was a dancer herself, she was summarily invited to join, a tutu and pointe shoes thrust in her hands. Ducking into a changing area, Li-Na executed a seemingly instantaneous costume change and was ready to go.

The piece? The perennial classic, Waltz of the Snowflakes from The Nutcracker. Li-Na could do this dance with her eyes closed, near about, so despite having never danced with these ghosts before, she was perfectly in sync with their steps.

II-C. now i see the light

This wasn't Li-Na first time making a sky lantern, though it had been a while since she last made one (as they were kind of banned in Hong Kong now due to them being a fire hazard). Despite her familiarity, Li-Na took her time constructing the lantern, drawing a curling design on the surface of the paper and writing a note asking her ancestors to watch over her. Once she was done, she looked around to see how people around her were doing. When she saw one she liked, she complimented its maker. Or if she saw someone having a bit of trouble, she offered some tips.

"Ah, that should face the other way."

IV. who is that girl i see

Having the ghosts everywhere was pretty unnerving for Li-Na at first, especially after last month. She shied away from them initially, but eventually started to get used to them. There were several of them in her classes, but it took almost a week for her to realize that one ghost in particular was in every single one of her classes. Mostly because she'd been sitting directly behind Li-Na the entire time.

Which. Okay. That's fine.

But then she saw the ghost at Expressive, working the same shift as her on the weekend. And at Dancinerate, in the advanced ballet class. Which, that was okay, Li-Na just taught the toddlers now, since most of her dance instruction happened at the university.

But then her professors started calling on the ghost instead of Li-Na when she raised her hand in class. And when she did manage to make a comment... they praised the ghost instead of her. She stopped raising her hand.

But the finishing blow happened one afternoon at the dance studio. As she walked in to get ready to teach her class, she spotted the studio director talking to the ghost.

"Lisa, I was wondering if you'd be interested in teaching the toddler class."

Huh?

"Wha-Wait! I teach the toddler class!"

The ghost, Lisa, flicked her eyes momentarily in Li-Na's direction, then smiled at the studio director.

"I'd love to. I've always wanted to teach."

The director didn't even seem to see Li-Na, and for a moment, she just stood there... stunned. And all of the insecurities she'd thought she'd so successfully pushed aside since coming to Recolle... came rushing back. Feeling like she's choking, Li-Na turned around and left the studio, collapsing onto the bus bench down the block. She really must be terrible, if a ghost could just take her place like this.

wild card

[Have something else in mind? HMU @ anacrusis and we can discuss~]

i

[usurpers]

[ eren hasn’t found an alter for him yet, and honestly— he doesn’t know how to feel if he did. these were for . . . the dead, right? the gone. they weren’t dead. he does see li-na’s back facing him and, really, she deserves to see him better than she last did, all finned and slimed.

at least, her memories of what was there at the alter were fond ones.

maybe it was symbolism? memories that are in the past are gone, but they’re never forgotten. he walks up to her, behind her and more to her side. ]

Do you do it every year?

[ the nutcracker is a classic. ]

[dejerate]

I:

O-oi, watch it?!

[Is all that initially comes out of Yuu's mouth as someone seems to suddenly be right there in front of him as he walks along. It's only after he then pauses and raises an eyebrow, noticing their odd clothing. The different hairstyles perhaps. And.....well. Then noting how transparent they were.]

Um......?

[Sure. Others might have mentioned ghosts and all but he hasn't personally experienced it. Not...quite like this anyway.]

ii:

Chata:

Here, you gotta try this curry! It's the best!

[Yuu doesn't even think twice before going around to share the food. Probably in part against what one might expect from his upbringing of growing up in an orphanage, where he probably had to fight for anything he had, including food. But still, he wants to share his favourite meal with others. There's plenty to go around, after all, so he figures he can have some himself after.]

Tribunal Terrace:

Lanterns, huh?

[Well. They were....kind of pretty. He'd always liked the night sky. The sky in general, really. Now, part of him realizes that might be because of the years in his memories he'd spent, or that other him had spent, living underground with the vampires.

Still, Yuu isn't the best in creative pursuits but he gives it a go, decorating one with a vivid green and sky blue colour.]

IV:

[Of course he didn't think much if anything of it. When they were asking about him and asking about what he might be up to at random times during the day or week. Yuu gives a simple explanation, figuring they're just curious, especially with technology like his phone or something. Compared to what they were used to when they were probably originally alive.

He doesn't expect....well, this. That one of them seems to be welcomed in by his foster father as if they were family. Yuu had thought since getting adopted, since being with his foster father for five years now, he'd be over this. This feeling of being abandoned. But it's back. And he hates it. How much, more than the confusion and...rage? over this, is just that resignation and upset over it. As if he expected to get replaced all along.

And maybe he did. Given his foster father's relatively young age, it wasn't unlikely he might meet someone and start a family of his own. But that hadn't meant Yuu had expected this.

He swallows, shaking his head before turning and running from his house at full speed.]

Tribunal terrace

[allforyuu]

Blue and green?

[They were lucky to run into each other, given that things are so dark and chaotic. Mika scoots closer, grabbing some of the lantern making materials. Good company in the crisp november night, looking at the stars... It doesn't get any better than that.]

[jurai]

I-A. Luigi's Mansion

[Crow was starting to fall into pace with the way this city was starting to work. The things he normally would've jumped at, or maybe even stammered out questions now became the norm, just as everyone (pessimistically) said it would. Funny how accepting that fate kind of jades you to it.

So when the tables and altars start showing up along the sidewalks, as Crow's on his way from one job to another, or on his way to his night classes or the gym, curiosity gets the better of him and he attempts to move it--to his surprise, no luck.

But if THAT wasn't weird enough, by the time he just started getting used to that, the ghosts start appearing, first as one or two kindly asking for directions, but then more and more start showing up wanting his attention, surprisingly tangible arms tugging him one way or another. Crow, while baffled as to why the ghosts were even here in the first place, certainly wasn't going to complain. This was a million times better than the zombie invasion of October.]

Heh! Easy, easy! No need to tear your tour guide in two...

[It's then that Crow'll catch any non-ghost passerby, waving for them to come over. Seems like he's trying to pull up his map on his phone, but maybe more longtime locals might know more.]

Hey, got a minute?


I-B. Ghost Trick [Ghost Info]

[Arf! Arf Arf!

For a second, Crow couldn't believe what he was seeing. It was a dog--not a very large one, but decent-enough of a size to get his attention--running up to him and circling around his legs. If he had to take a guess, it was a King Charles Spaniel, from its long fur to its splotchy coat. But what really stood it apart from the rest was the translucent, slightly see through appearance. If Crow squinted, he could see right through it, actually.

Strange, because it was still tangible enough to be felt.

Well, whatever it was, this dog certainly wanted him to follow it, and as it takes off, he's quick to jog along next to it. After a few intersections (the dog waits for the light too, no jaywalking here) and a park later, the dog leads him to an equally ghostly girl, who seems ecstatic that her furry friend had returned to her.

The conversation turns from friendly, to a little somber, to....oh.

Crow's face falls, as the girl seems to have left him with something heavily weighing on his mind. It's only when she leaves, taking her happy little dog with her that Crow's left with his own thoughts, his usual jovial personality now replaced with furrowed brows and a knuckle to his lips.

If what she said was true, then...]


IV. Spirit Tracks

[Crow thought nothing of it at first. A ghost kept meeting up with him while going to and from his classes, asking about his day, what his schedule was. Honestly, other than being a little overeager about a college kid's lifestyle, Crow thought nothing of it. He gave what information he was comfortable with saying, teased a little like always, and left the ghost to continue about his day.

It seemed harmless. Hell, it probably was.

That's what made it so infuriating.

The ghost started showing up to his classes, sitting in his seat and taking notes. And to everyone around him, it almost seemed like they didn't even notice that it was a completely different person. Honestly, it would've been a dream come true--he could skip classes and not have to worry about attendance.

If it only applied to school, he might've thought that.

But when he enters the cafe, on his weekly slapjack tournaments with the local kids for candy (games he, secretly, always loses), he's stopped only to see the same ghost there, too, sitting in his usual spot with a deck of cards, laughing and having a good time with the kids.

Something twists in his heart right there, and although he's sporting a smile (because really, what else can you do), he'll take a seat, watching them play as he gets his own deck out, setting it up for pyramid solitaire. His ears couldn't pick up everything that the ghost was saying, nor the kids, but he listened for his name anyway.]

Honestly, tossing aside ol' Crow like an unlucky penny...


[Wildcard]

[Got something else in mind? Hit me up on this acct or RCeus !]

Spirit Tracks

[interlucere]

[ It's hard to say how long Lucille has been watching him. Maybe the first time she noticed his ghostly companion sitting in for him in class one day. She doesn't mean to at first, it was none of her business; and like him, Lucille assumed that there was no harm in it. She could lecture him about how he shouldn't take credit for someone else's work, but he's probably already heard it before.

She should have stepped in to warn him when she noticed the same thing happen to her. She doesn't know why she didn't. Maybe she was afraid he would look right past her as well. It's hard to say. But seeing him there at the cafe by himself, clearly watching a group of kids while muttering to himself... Crow, you're pretty obvious. ]

There you go, calling yourself old again. One of these days, it's going to stick.

[ There's a small lilt of laughter in her voice, even if the smile on her face looks tenuous at best. Sympathetic, although she doesn't expect him to know or care why. It's unimportant. Lucille tilts her head toward an empty chair. ]

This seat taken?

[digthefuzz]

A. Going Ghosts

[Kurt's looking a bit weirded out! He tries to slide a pair of shades on and look inconspicuous, but he's quickly being surrounded by a group of inquisitive ghosts. Some of them are looking for directions or asking general questions about the city, while some ghosts who only died within the last decade or so recognize Kurt and are asking him for autographs.

He smiles sheepishly as he tries to shrink away from them.]

I- I didn't sign up for this! And I thought the paparazzi was bad...!

B. A Stand-Up Guy

[At Tisse, Kurt eventually ends up on stage. He's not exactly sure what to do, but lately he has been thinking of looking into stand-up comedy. He's hilarious, after all! So he picks up a microphone as he nervously addresses a ghostly audience!]

Sooo, how are we doing today? [A beat.] Everyone in good spirits?

[Destroy him. Or commentate, join him, heckle him, whatever! He could easily switch over to trying out improve, karaoke and/or magic tricks!]

C. A Lantern of Events

[At Tribunal Terrace, Kurt ends up sitting at a table and helping to craft one of the paper lanterns. He was inspired by Mayor Mayer's stirring declarations about the lanterns! And he quickly starts painting his nearly-finished lantern a dark blue.]

Aw yeah! One more lantern, coming up!

D. Wildcard

[Feel free to come up with an alternative prompt or hit me up for further plotting!]

[flametheif40]

A) [Al heard someone saying something about the paparazzi and that almost made him chuckle. It's not like whoever said that would actually...wait, OH! He is from that TV SHOW! Al always wondered about their life. He goes up to Kurt with a smile]

Hey! I think I have an idea to get rid of them.

[Pretty much running, put firewalls behind them and try to give them the slip, the ghosts were annoying and today he is feeling helpful, sides. Maybe get a friend this way.]

[usurpers]

ＯＮＥ —ＩＮ ＴＨＩＳ ＥＰＩＳＯＤＥ ＯＦ ＲＥＣＯＣＯ： ＭＩ ＰＡＤＲＥ
[ from the fifth onwards one might find eren constantly hanging around a ghost rather than the living. they could be walking or sitting, from tisse to chata and even the hospital, talking away until the sun sets and even more. some closer friends may remember that eren lost his father fairly early, and while they don’t look too much alike— they’re eyes are strikingly similar.

eren might either:
💥 send you a message if you’re a close friend, saying: There’s someone I want you to meet.
💥 catch you passing by and wave you over through tears and smiling and you don’t know if he’s in major pain or not (he’s eating really spicy buffalo wings, it’s true). ]

ＴＷＯ — ＴＩＳＳＥ
[ the only thing eren ever plays with stunning energy are the drums, but as he wanders up onto backstage just to get a better look at the lights— he stops right there.

playing a drum solo in front of so many people has him hanging back. they’re ghosts, he knows. some of them are living, too. but he just . . .

he’s not going out there alone, sorry. he’ll get to helping the others with equipment. alternatively, maybe you’re getting ready to do something or just wandering in, too, but he’ll quickly offer his place. ]

—I’m not in line.

[ he gestures for you to go ahead, even though there are drumsticks sticking out of his back pocket. ]

ＴＨＲＥＥ — Ｉ’Ｍ ＳＰＯＯＰＹ
[ before you say anything: eren has tried everything. he’s gone to the hospital, his classes, even his gym routine and everywhere, he’s ignored. he’s invisible, replaced by a stout young woman his age.

around town, she copies eren’s mannerisms, his ticks and his passion. she even looks far too much like him. she can come bounding up to you with a little more prep (obviously, she wants to put her own spin on this), but acting as if she should be there. be the one to talk to you, be the one to hound you or laugh with you. she’s even walking eren’s dogs and taking his car for a spin.

hopefully, you can see right through her, and eren himself comes bolting to you in hopes that you can see him.

there’s nothing worse than being ignored. it was easier to look past it the first time, but now— it twists like a knife. he’ll go through all his options if he had to, and other than all the locations (where you can still choose from), you can also find him at the jaeger family household, but not as a person.

his father’s ghost hangs around his mother’s home, and there, they have their occasional family breakfast, lunch or dinner together the way it used to be. his mother, his father, his sister, and—

no him, just. this girl. they’ve always had her around as far they know. at this point, he’s gone titan and seems to be doing every inch of screeching he can by the windows, pulling a tree from its roots, hitting the ground with it, growing so infuriated he throws it, somewhere. his cries can be heard miles away, as can his earth trembling steps when he decides to move.

he still isn’t noticed, at least not by them. maybe you? ]

ＷＩＬＤＣＡＲＤ
[ there’s a little bit of wildcard in all of these so you can mold each scenario to your liking, but if you have other plans!!! totally hit this up and we can work something out :) liberos is the easiest way to plot with me! ]

2

[liberal_arts]

[ Kasen wasn't someone who could be accused of having a lot of common sense, but he was still an artist and able to take in a lot of information from simple observations, so it only took him a moment to take in all the clues he'd been given, rub them against the context, and come to an idea of just what was going on... ]

... Eren, do you like jazz? [ Well. An idea, anyways. ]

Or, more appropriately, can you play jazz?

[flametheif40]

2) I didn't lose my shoes, I had to chase one.

[ His shoes running away was something he found amusing. When the beans were being thrown at him though he pulls his knife out and either dodges or parries the beans.

He almost fluidly dodges a good amount of them, until they start to reach a fever pitch and start throwing a hail storm's worth of beans. This might be something to talk about in fight club, however, the tranquillity he WAS feeling is starting to slowly become undone]

Seriously guys! What's with the bean throwing? and...wait, are my shoes literally walking away?!


3) Forest disco!

[Al tried to get away from all the ghosts and ran into more ghosts. When he saw none in the forest, that is where he went. All of the colours catch him off guard and he looks to the bark of the trees, the sense of peace that filled him. It was, nice...really nice. He looks at the tree barks and how they paint a picture. He turns to the nearest person}

Hey, you recognize this? This feels like something I should have picked up in class.


Wild!
Want to plot something? Inbox me or plurk me. Or just throw it at me :P
Contact:flametheif40

3.

[drydrown]

[Honestly, Cumore is here for the same reason Al is here - he wants to avoid the ghosts, and the forest seems to be a place that the ghosts aren't. He's been here for a while, mostly just kind of...wandering, and watching the colors flash.

He's got a good sense of direction, always has; he isn't concerned about getting lost.

He isn't sure what to make of the voice ringing out through the silence, but you know what, as long as it isn't one of the not-so-dearly departed, he's all right with someone else being here, he supposes.]

Not particularly, no.

[blondferret]

II. Chata

[Derek didn't know why he was being punished. Just because he tried the food first before offering it to someone else, he couldn't eat any of the food until he offered homemade foo to others. Like, had anyone heard of tasting the food before you offer it to someone else? Poison check? So here is was, with a few Tupperware boxes full of bangers and mash, trying to offer it to people. Then, perhaps he could get some of that "free food." Stupid ghosts. He shoves a Tupperware in a persons face.]

Want some food?

II. Tribunal Terrace

[At some point, Derek sits down and starts making a few lanterns. What else is there to do on your time off? Lighting the lantern with his wand, he releases it into the air. He turns to the person next to him, who was also finishing up their lantern.]

Do you need help lighting it?

III

[Why did Derek get in this very questionable boat? WHY? He had been on the app long enough to know NOT TO GET INTO A QUESTIONABLE BOAT! WHY?! Yet... here he was, riding along he he sees something start to pass the boat. Where those his sister's spinning shoes? HE GAVE HER THOSE! WHAT THE HELL? He reaches for them to get them back. However, a hand crawls up and tries to grab him. He instantly pulls his hand away. Hell no!]

Shit!

[He tries to grab for the shoes again when another hand wraps around his forearm. He grabs the shoes and tries to shake the hand off. That is when the burning sensation hits him.]

AAARRRRGGGGHH! GET THE FUCK OFF!

II

[babysplice]

Yes.

[ she grabs the Tupperware with no hesitation, pries off the lid, spears a sausage with her spork, and puts it to her mouth--where it turns instantly to gold. ]

[echoing_sutras]

[ ii - tisse - we don't want the airwaves ]

[ Hey, Kyouko basically never went anywhere without her guitar anyways, so there was no need to provide that, but the stage giving her an amp, a mic, and a backing band certainly helped sort out logistics. Though this wasn't the show SHE had planned, she figured any chance to play for a crowd was a good one, and it would help her work out any kinks in her own idea. She'd keep her set short and sweet. Three songs only.

Avail - "Simple Song"
The Gaslight Anthem - "Drive"
Tiger Army - "Afterworld"

Needless to say, she picked some more palatable punk for an audience she didn't really know, and hey, maybe that last one would ring well with most of the ghosts!

As she finished, she took a bow, thanking everyone that stopped by to listen and of course... ]

Look me up on youtube at Kyouko Hijiri and be sure to like, comment, and subscribe!

[ Look, calls to action were basically reflex for her at this point, it didn't matter if half the audience were ghosts who didn't even know what Youtube was. ]

[ iii - forest - Iif I could freeze our small amount of time together ]

[ The visual history lesson was cool at first, helping better serve her memory than most of the classes she'd taken in school. It was soul soothing to simply sit and soak in all of the lights below, tracing the stories through each root, until... Until it came to her own story.

Not many would recognize Myouren Hijiri. He was a pretty simple man, after all. Dedicated to his faith and helping out with the temple, and taking care of his sister Byakuren, but also doting on someone else most people... probably wouldn't recognize anymore. After all, she didn't have her green hair, her punk aesthetic, but that smile, that shining voice of hers, would ring familiar after enough exposure.

Kyouko sat there, watching them like they were old home movies, sort of... slumping down to her knees. Her eyes were teary, but there didn't seem any actual... despair or sadness of any kind. Just the sort of nostalgia that made someone feel a pain in their chest. She reached out, fingers digging slowly into the grass near the largest of the roots, around an image of Myouren smiling and laughing... ]

... Papa...

[ wildcard ]

[ u know what to do. hit me with that wildcard shit. ]

iii bc how could i not

[forgottenmagia]

[ She forgoes a head pat this time, but Byakuren does take a seat on the ground next to Kyouko. ]

Ah, look at him, as cheerful as ever...

[ Like nothing ever happened, like he's still here. Of course, everything they're seeing has already happened, but she wants to pretend it hasn't, for a bit. ]

[fiddlestick]

I. Ofrenda Ofrickno

[At first, Elliot thought it was very charming to see to Ofrendas around. Which not Mexican himself, he was pretty well aware of the tradition thanks to living in New York and well...watching a certain pixar movie a hundred times. So he thinks it's sweet that all these ofrendas have been put up for people's loved ones.

That is, until he comes across one that's for him.

It's not a particularly surprising ofrenda. There's photos of him, his family, his friends, music stuff. There's even a violin and an old teddy bear that is worn out in the way that only a child's beloved teddy would be. All in all, it's a typical ofrenda - except for one thing]

Um...aren't ofrendas supposed to be for dead people?

[THIS. IS. CONCERNING?]

II-A. Tisse, performance time
[Elliot's never one to say no to the chance to do a music performance. It doesn't take much to convince him to go on stage and play violin to accompany someone's performance, or to do a solo. Maybe you need his help to pull off a dance or a band performance?

Otherwise, you might catch him before he goes on stage, looking pretty eager at the prospect]

Hehe, that looks like a lot of fun.

II-B. Tribunal Terrace
[Okay so for all of Elliot's music and cooking talent, he is not the most....artistic person in the world when it comes to crafts. So he's struggling a little with his lantern as he tries to put it together. Finally, he might look a little pleadingly at a nearby person]

Sorry, but could you give me a hand? I'm a little lost...

WILDCARD: Ghost Talk (open to 2 people max)
[It's a little unnerving having all these dead ghosts floating around, but slowly Elliot is getting used to it. Eventually, he does come to the realization that maybe if they come from sometime in the past, they might have information on Recolle's history. Even better, there has been a ghost that's been eyeing him for quite awhile- some man about his age, from the look of it.

So Elliot finally works up the nerve to try to talk to him, to see if he can get any information. Except it turns out...the ghost was eyeing him for a specific reason, and keeps trying to flirt with him rather than engage in conversation]

Um- t-thank you? Not sure I'd call my hair pretty but--

[Annnd the ghost keeps going at it. Elliot looks a little thrown, not used to people that's not Eren flirting with him - especially dead people. Maybe bail him out, and you'll find out some information too.]

[OOC: The last prompt is being limited to the first two people who pick that prompt, just so I don't repeat the same thread too many times. Any information Elliot gets from his ghost will be posted to the network later, promise!]

I

[invocate]

[ Li-Na shares your concerns Elliot. She shares your concerns so very much. ]

Ofrenda? That's what they're called? They remind me of a family altar.

[ WHICH IS ALSO FOR DEAD PEOPLE ]

I really hope this isn't connected to Retrospec not being able to find us...

[mincingminuet]

Tisse

[Pen has never had much of a problem getting up on stage, and today is no exception. She's stepped out, dressed in jeans and a hoodie to ward off the November chill, and hit the speakers to kick things off. Running through a complicated collection of break dance moves, she's sure to wow the crowd and whoever's watching. Spinning, flipping, using the skills granted from another life with a modern rhythm and talent, Pen doesn't even seem to falter when the set comes to an end and she vaults off stage and lands on her feet in front of you.

Yes, you.]

Well? How'd I do?


Tribunal Terrace

[The lanterns are something Orihime's made sure she's familiar with, so Pen can be found at one of the long tables with others, putting together her very own ghostly lantern. She's careful to cut it, fold it, and do everything well...but stops if someone sits nearby.]

Kinda weird doing this with ghosts, huh?


Home, Closed to Roommates

[Well. That was pretty weird. After her encounter with a spirit, Pen had sort of staggered into the house, shambling over towards the couch and flopping down on it, heedless of anyone or anything else in the room. It was just...a lot to take in, enough to make her laugh. A confused, bubbly little giggle at how ridiculous her life has become spills out, attracting the attention of the cat. Who decides to take it upon himself to squash the giggles right out of her.

And that is how she can be found. Laughing softly, wheezing a bit because of the weight of Mr. Fluffernutters on her chest. What a ridiculous, ridiculous life.]


Wildcard

[Hit Me Up! Lets plot something!]

Home

[long_live_the_queen]

[There was a slight complication to this scenario.

Lucy was also sitting on that couch. She'd looked up to say hello, but before she got a chance to there was a roommate piled all on her. And said roommate's cat.

The horned girl had frozen stiff, hands still up mid-recoil and similarly frozen. It took her a relatively long time to catch up with what she'd meant to say.]

--hi, Pen.

[zerotohiro]

ii.) Enprise

[Why is it always fire? He's drawn like a moth to the flames and when the paper money shows up in his pocket he just makes a face. As the monopoly board materializes under his feet he looks up at the golden Chocobo towering over him before turning to face whoever's next to him.]

Are you playing? Help me up on this thing.

[Logic: if he's on the chocobo, he has double the chances of winning.]

ii.) Chata

[He's not exactly the sharing type, really, so naturally when Hiro finds what looks like a plate of chicken wings he's taking a bite for himself. As the meal turns into hard-plated gold, there's a groan of disappointment. It doesn't take long for him to understand what he has to do…but it still sucks? It still sucks!

Anyone in the grocery stores around Chata today will find Hiro loading up a basket with frozen chicken wings, buffalo sauce and some other spices. Maybe you're reaching for one of the same spices? Either way, he's eyeing whatever you may have on hand and he shrugs.]

Why would they say it's free if it's really not? The ghosts are liars. [No, he's just mad.]

ii.) Tribual Terrace

[Arts and crafts are something else he immediately gravitates toward and he's quick to grab supplies. He settles himself on a bench with paper and sticks and paints as he's quickly crafting small fish and cats on his lanterns. He's happily ignoring everybody else at this rate. Join him?]

iii.)

[He spends a lot of time down at Peach Beach, so the sudden appearance of a boat isn't lost on him. He's eyeing the ferryman warily and he's not immediately heading to jump in line but he seems to be settled in watching the boat for a while. It's hard to tell where the boat's disappearing to and how it's coming back, but one minute it's there and the next it's not.

He'll eventually inch his way closer and closer to the line, and he's not exactly shy about speaking up to whoever's around.]

Are you going to go? [Or are you just watching, too?]

wildcard

[What it says on the tin! I'm open to any of the other prompts or even just doing fun goofy stuff. Plot with me on plurk at alternatively or shoot a PM to his journal if you'd like!]

iii

[floret]

[ You know who's around? Jamie is! And he's looking ghostlier than ever in his head-to-toe black samurai outfit, complete with sword and... shoulder bag. (Yeah, maybe it's weird that he keeps wearing this, but it's the only spirit-fabric outfit he's got that isn't pajamas or a Halloween costume.)

Any ghosts who get a good look at him are giving him a slightly wide berth, but they're not so wary they're going to skip the boat ride, apparently. ]

...I haven't decided. On the one hand, it seems kind of risky, but on the other... it seems like checking it out would be the responsible thing to do? Maybe?

[manufactured]

[Ia.]

[Wesker is another one that's a little offput by the ofrendas; he finds his own near the old medical clinic, the one that his adopted father used to work at, and while he isn't sure how he feels about his own, he's less sure what to think about the one next to it - it's of an older man, not unkind-seeming but a bit severe in the face, and it clearly seems to be someone that Wesker finds familiar. He'll be standing there for a longer period of time than he'd like to acknowledge; for the first few days he just comes back here, leaving candles and small metal trinkets because he doesn't know what else to leave.

He doens't seem to be mourning; he doesn't seem to be reacting much at all. But the fact remains that he keeps coming back, and surely that has to count for something.]


[Ib.]

[It's likely no surprise, then, that when he stops showing up it's for a reason.

It's one of the apparitions that's stopped him cold; he knows for a fact that it's a ghost, a manifestation, something that can't possibly be real in any way... But the fact remains that whatever he is, he's real enough to draw Wesker out of the house for longer and longer periods of time - something that's no small or insignificant fact for the people who know Wesker at all - and on those excursions out he can be seen in the company of this one ghost in particular; it's the man from the ofrenda, the one who isn't unkind but just a touch severe, and often times they're in front of the clinic, just sitting on the steps for hours and Wesker's talking to him more than he's talked to anyone living at any one time. The words are soft but they're pressured, quiet reassurances that aren't really needed about how things are all right now, how everything is working out well enough even if things are a little different for him now, things about friends and marriage and then sometimes things just...trial off, but the silence isn't bad, either, if anything it's possibly better than the talking.

If you're interested in meeting this person that Wesker's been so engrossed with for the past while, he certainly won't stop you; he'll likely be more than willing to introduce you, actually.]


[II. Tribunal Terrace]

[There's someting almost calming about being among the dead; with the exception of the apparition he's been favoring, he's not much more talkative around them than he normally would be, but the longer they're here the more receptive he seems to be of their presence. He's never had much reason to fear the dead, after all - they're just people that are a little further along the roat. It's the things that were never alive to begin with that you should probably be afraid of.

Anyway.

It seems he's more willing to socialize with these people than he ever was the living; they don't seem to mind his silence, and occasionally they'll ask him things that manage to draw actual answers, and he's staying closer to one of them than he normally might tonight in particular - she's dark-haired and wearing white, and while she doesn't look exactly like her, she's close enough to someone that's still in Wesker's memory that he doesn't seem too inclined to leave her be just yet.

...This is the third time she's tried, very patiently, to explain lanterns to him. Thankfully she seems to think it's cute.]


[Wildcard.]

[Feel free to hit me at InstantEternity if there's anything you want to do, i'm flexible. o/]

Ib

[scythegun]

[This month has been surprisingly quiet. Sure, there are the ofrendas and the ghosts, but those are much better than the usual Retrospec-disaster of the month, and Jaeger's had plenty of time to catch up on work. Of course, that also means he's bored, and he's never really taken to boredom very well.

He's out today with flowers, leaving some on the ofrendas he passes by on his way to a certain one - the one Wesker showed him; the one he's been sort of hoping might have a ghost near it at some point... Ah, but it's better not to get one's hopes up for that sort of thing. Whether that ghost appears or not, he's going to leave flowers there; even though it's for a man he's never met, leaving some sort of offering is incredibly important to him.

He doesn't quite make it to the ofrenda - he notices Wesker on the steps of the clinic first, and he recognizes the ghost Wesker's talking to.

This would certainly explain why Wesker's been out of the house more often. It's touching to see him there with someone so obviously important, someone he's clearly wanted to talk to for quite some time. It's wonderful that he has the chance to do that now, and...

And Jaeger's entirely too far away to overhear the conversation, but too close to just turn around and try to leave. It's a bit concerning that his first thought is to flee, but surely Wesker would appreciate the privacy, right? That's really the only reason he has to want to ditch, it's not like he's nervous or anything...

He's hesitated for too long, though, and he's sure at least one of them has noticed his presence. So Jaeger steels himself, clutches the flowers a bit tighter, and approaches, holding up his free hand in greeting.]

Good evening! I hope I'm not interrupting!

[He's managing the usual level of confidence and cheer well enough for now, at least. Hi, Wesker and ghost dad. Hope you don't mind the interruption??]